Review: Grace the Amazing

Eleven-year-old Grace is on the cusp of adolescence. She sees herself as many things. All of them negative.

She hates school, is friendless, mocked by her classmates because she wants to be a magician, and doesn’t get along with her seven-year-old brother.

Unhappy and angry all the time, Grace is unable to see in herself, all that she is capable of with her artistic gift, nurtured by her art teacher Pamela.

Mum Coco works at the Zoo, and on weekends has her own animal show, Party Pets, with which Grace helps out.

Dad is away a lot for work, and alone, Coco is at wits end with her daughter’s inexplicable attitude.

This pushes her to seek help for Grace from a Child Psychologist.

Review: Mini & Milo: Elephants Can't Jump

Elephants Can't Jump is the third book in the Mini & Milo series written by Venita Dimos and illustrated by Natashia Curtin.

As the tagline says, the stories are about 'Big skills for mini people' and are just right for explaining key concepts to young children.

In Elephants Can't Jump Mini the elephant is upset when she is given the gift of a trampoline. 

Mini's animal friends can all bounce on the trampoline, but doesn't everyone know that elephants can't jump? The problem is that Mini doesn't want to talk about why she's upset.

Guest Post: Dan Rice on The Less Reluctant Reader

My third grader is a reluctant reader. But he's less reluctant than he was two years ago. While in first grade, he was violently opposed to reading, and all he would read, under protest, mind you, were the Bob Books by Lynn Maslen Kertell. These are simple books for beginning readers and were great for getting him started on reading, but we needed to find more complex books he was willing to tackle for him to advance.

Dragons, Dragons, and More Dragons

Perhaps because he knows dragons feature in my novels, he became interested in The Glitter Dragon Series by Maddie Mara after spotting one at a school book fair. We read the entire series together and even made it through several of the follow-up The Treasure Dragon Series before he grew tired of these wonderful books.

Review: Seed To Sky: Life In The Daintree

This non-fiction picture book set in Australia’s Daintree rainforest, is absolutely stunning.

‘In the oldest rainforest on Earth, on the oldest continent, a seed falls to the ground.’

With its tactile, mixed media illustration style that has a particularly Daintree colour palette and gorgeous loose yet flowing sensibility, there are pages upon pages of incredible images and words to pore over and enjoy.

Travelling through the Daintree from 200 years ago to the present day, we watch a Bull Kauri pine tree grow up from being a tiny seed cone on the floor of the bush.

Junior Guest Post: Nia Shetty in Conversation with Noel-Andrew Bennett and Roxanne Bennett

Today, our revered Junior Reviewer, Nia Shetty, invites us into conversation with the creators of Jerk Chicken Magic.  Nia's review of their richly illustrated, culturally diverse picture book appeared last week. Enjoy this equally significant and genuine discussion about Celebrating Cultural Heritage and Family Stories.

In a world where diversity is budding into literature, authors Noel-Andrew Bennett and Roxanne Bennett shine a vibrant light with their delightful children's book, Jerk Chicken Magic. In an exclusive interview, the duo shared insights into their creative process, the challenges they faced, and how they created a wholesome book with deeper implications. As an immigrant child myself, I know the importance of these books and teaching children about cultural consciousness at a young age. 

From the beginning of our conversation, it was clear that Noel-Andrew and Roxanne's passion for their cultural heritage was embedded into each page of their work. Drawing inspiration from their Jamaican roots and immigrant experiences in Canada, the couple set out to fill a void they noticed in children's literature. With two young children themself, they aimed to create a children’s book filled with vivid imagery that not only celebrated Jamaica but also resonated with immigrant families worldwide.

Review: Little Angler

I live in the water, deep down in the sea.

Check out my light, it’s as bright as can be.

Take a deep, deep underwater adventure with Little Angler in this gorgeous lift-the-flap board book by Zoe Gaetjens and Heidi McKinnon.

Something looks tickly, what could it be?

I’ll turn on my light, then we can see.

Review: The Cave

This brilliant piece of writing by Victor Kelleher is breathtaking from beginning to end.

A coming-of-age novel, it is filled with adventure, personal growth, courage, survival, strength, and renewal.

Set in paleolithic times of spears and newly discovered fire, it is the age of Beast.

Irian and his father are left to keep vigil at the mouth of the cave where all their clan have taken refuge. They fall asleep, and the fire burns out. The carnage left by the attack by the beast in the darkness, is unspeakable.

Irian’s family is lost. He is spared due to his squirreling into a space between two rocks. When he awakes from the shock, he has lost the ability to speak.

Review: Cheer Up, Blobfish!

The Kid and I have long had a soft spot [so to speak] for blobfish, going way back to her days as mini-Attenborough, so this book was always on my radar. And really, who could go past that sensational cover with its lenticular feature?

Any reader whose eye is caught by this awesomeness, will not be disappointed by the story and art inside either. 

From the fabulous endpapers [you know my thoughts on this topic by now] and throughout the delightful rhyming narrative, to the sweet and affirming ending, this is a hit all round.

Review: Aggie Flea Steals the Show!

Aggie Flea Steals the Show! is the second book in Tania Ingram's Aggie Flea series.

Aggie is always getting into scrapes. Usually because she's a curious and adventurous girl with a big imagination.

In this story, Aggie is desperate to win a role in the school play. She really wants to play the superhero spider from Mars called Web Legs!

Aggie's imagination makes her nervous about auditioning. Then she learns her aunt is going to direct the play. Will that be good or bad for Aggie?

Review: Mums And Mogs

Mums And Mogs is pure delight.

Acclaimed author and mischief-maker Mick Elliot delivers a veritable snapshot of all the possible combinations of mothers, children and their cats – also known as mogs. 

This celebration of all things feline within family is a hoot.

‘A joyful carnival of fun, family, and more than a little bit of mischief…’

We are treated to many, many bright and cheerful illustrations of family situations where mogs abound in daily life. 

Meet The Illustrator: Jeanette Stampone

Name: Jeanette Stampone

Describe your illustration style in ten words or less.
Digital with the traditional look of collage or charcoal sketch.

What items are an essential part of your creative space?
All I need is my ipad, my Apple Pencil and a comfy chair.

Do you have a favourite artistic medium?
I love digital collage. It’s the beauty and texture of collage without all the mess! Perfect for for art on the go, or when you have limited time.

Name three artists whose work inspires you. 

Review: Those Girls

Pamela Rushby’s latest book, Those Girls, brings into the limelight the lives of extraordinary women in the Australian Women’s Land Army, and their valuable contribution during the war. 

The story focuses on the lives of the three leading characters – Aileen, Glad and Hilly.

The story begins in 1942. Sixteen-year-old Hilly, with her parents’ permission, and accompanied by her friend Liz, enlist in the Land Army. 

Within a week they are harvesting potatoes on a farm, a task deemed impossible by Liz, who abandons the idea and leaves the first day.

Hilly encounters other girls that are part of a larger enlisted group, but it is Glad, Aileen and Hilly that fit together, and remain working in partnership throughout the war. 

Review: A Better Best Friend

Have you ever wanted a best friend? A friend to share your favourite hobbies and places and secrets with? That’s what our special squirrel protagonist wants. He just wants a very best friend.

He meets Pock, and Pock is a wonderful best friend (even if he is a little quiet). But then Moo comes along, and he seems like a great best friend, too.

So what do you do when you have two wonderful friends that could both be your best friend? How do you choose which one should be the best, because you can’t have two best friends. Can you?

Junior Review: Jerk Chicken Magic

Jerk Chicken Magic is a delightful journey into the life of a multi-generational immigrant family, the Higgins, from the point of view of charming 6-year-old Lizzy. 

Set against the backdrop of Jamaica's flavorful culinary tradition, this book takes readers on a savory adventure through the magic of jerk chicken.

Authored by Noel-Andrew and Roxanne Bennett, Jerk Chicken Magic is more than just a children's picture book—it's a celebration of resilience, adaptability, and the profound significance of preserving cultural heritage. 

Guest Post: Q & A with Alexia Paglia: My Strong Heart

At only 24 years of age, Sydney’s Alexia Paglia is adding to her already growing list of achievements by releasing a new children’s book all about maintaining good heart health called My Strong Heart, just in time for Heart Health Week from 6th to 12th May.

With cardiovascular disease (CVD) affecting 1 in 4 Australians (that’s over 4 million people), clinical researcher and medical student Alexia Paglia's mission is to lower the rates of CVD, improve health outcomes and educate children at a young age so they can take positive health behaviours well into adulthood. As well as recently winning a Young Citizen of the Year Award for her volunteer work in educating children about their health, My Strong Heart is Alexia’s first children’s book in a series of Dr Zig Zaccy Zoo books on living a healthy lifestyle.